As gameweek 36 came to an end in the Premier League, the race for the top four remains closely contested as Manchester United, Chelsea and Leicester City fight it out for the remaining two spots.
Champions Liverpool won’t be able to match or break Manchester City’s record 100-point total in a single Premier League campaign after losing 2-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates.
At the other end of the table, while Norwich City are already relegated, two among Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Watford are likely to join the Canaries in the Championship next season.
Premier League gameweek 36 results:
Chelsea 1 – 0 Norwich City
Burnley 1 – 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City 2 – 1 Bournemouth
Newcastle United 1 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal 2 – 1 Liverpool
Everton 1 – 1 Aston Villa
Leicester 2 – 0 Sheffield United
Crystal Palace 0 – 2 Manchester United
Southampton 1 – 1 Brighton and Hove Albion
West Ham United 3 – 1 Watford
Without further ado, let’s take a look at our Premier League Team of the Week for gameweek 36. The formation usedis 4-2-4.
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Arsenal)
Emiliano Martinez displayed a goalkeeping masterclass against Liverpool as he helped Arsenal to a 2-1 win at the Emirates by making the highest number of saves (8) and recoveries in the game (14).
If not for the Argentine, the Gunners wouldn’t have been able to survive the onslaught from the champions as they kept attacking throughout the second half after going down 2-1 before half-time.
Right-back: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
The Chelsea captain had a decent game in the backline as his side won a scrappy match against an already-relegated Norwich City. Cesar Azpilicueta helped keep a clean sheet, made the highest number of tackles (3), the third-highest number of interceptions (3) and second-highest number of blocks (2) in the game as the Blues edged out the Canaries 1-0.
Centre-back: Victor Lindelof (Manchester United)
Victor Lindelof has proved many of his doubters wrong this season with his consistency, with the Swedish international continuing to improve with every game. He was immense at the back for the Red Devils in a must-win the game against Crystal Palace. The former Benfica man helped keep a clean sheet, managed the second-highest number of passes (66) and the highest number of recoveries (9) in the game as Manchester United won 2-0 and remain firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Centre-back: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
Ezri Konsa had his best game in Aston Villa colours as he helped his side to a 1-1 draw against Everton. The former Brentford defender must have thought that his first Premier League goal for the Villains would be enough to bag the full three points, but a late equaliser from Theo Walcott ruined Konsa’s party and put Aston Villa on the brink of elimination.
Left-back: Luke Thomas (Leicester City)
Luke Thomas was thrown in the line of fire by Brendan Rodgers after injuries to Ben Chilwell and Christian Fuchs. The youngster responded in brilliant fashion as he helped keep a clean sheet and provided an assist on his Premier League debut. The 19-year-old looked ready for the occasion and showed no signs of fear as the Foxes comfortably beat Sheffield United 2-0.
Central midfielder: David Silva (Manchester City)
David Silva is in his final season at Manchester City but the Spanish maestro is showing no signs of stopping. The former Valencia man was in full throttle in the 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Bournemouth as he scored from a brilliant free-kick and also provided the assist for Gabriel Jesus’ goal.
Central midfielder: Declan Rice (West Ham United)
Declan Rice was in sublime form as West Ham United beat Watford 3-1 to retain their Premier League status. The England international scored a thumping goal, managed the highest number of recoveries (12), and the second-highest number of interceptions (4) in the game.
Right-winger: Reiss Nelson (Arsenal)
Reiss Nelson has found starts hard to come by as the Arsenal youngster has been mostly used as a substitute. However, the England Under-21 international started in the Gunners’ impressive 2-1 win over champions, Liverpool. Nelson scored the winning goal and constantly pressed to win the ball back from Jürgen Klopp’s men, who lost only their third Premier League game of the season.
Left-winger: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford tormented the Crystal Palace defenders and broke the deadlock by scoring a fantastic goal from inside the box after taking out three defenders with his cut-back. The Red Devils ultimately won the game 2-0 to remain firmly in the reckoning for Champions League football net season. It was Rashford’s 17th Premier League goal of the season.
Striker: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane is finally showing signs of regaining his old form under new Jose Mourinho. The England star striker scored a brace and helped his team to a crucial 3-1 victory over Newcastle United as Spurs look to qualify for the Europa League next season. The prolific hitman now has 15 league goals to his name this season.
Striker: Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Anthony Martial is unrecognizable under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the Frenchman has become unstoppable in front of goal. The former Monaco striker, who was on verge of being sold by former Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, is now enjoying life as a number 9. He scored a fantastic goal in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace to take his season’s goalscoring tally to 17 in 30 Premier League appearances.
Here’s how our Premier League Team of the Week for gameweek 36 would line up:
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